title: A brief understanding of process optimisation in microwave-assisted extraction of botanical materials: options and opportunities with chemometric tools.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extraction forms the very basic step in research on natural products for drug discovery. A poorly optimised and planned extraction methodology can jeopardise the entire mission.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To provide a vivid picture of different chemometric tools and planning for process optimisation and method development in extraction of botanical material, with emphasis on microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) of botanical material.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of studies involving the application of chemometric tools in combination with MAE of botanical materials was undertaken in order to discover what the significant extraction factors were. Optimising a response by fine-tuning those factors, experimental design or statistical design of experiment (DoE), which is a core area of study in chemometrics, was then used for statistical analysis and interpretations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this review a brief explanation of the different aspects and methodologies related to MAE of botanical materials that were subjected to experimental design, along with some general chemometric tools and the steps involved in the practice of MAE, are presented. A detailed study on various factors and responses involved in the optimisation is also presented.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This article will assist in obtaining a better insight into the chemometric strategies of process optimisation and method development, which will in turn improve the decision-making process in selecting influential extraction parameters.
authors.affiliation: Pharmacognosy and Phytotherapy Research Laboratory, Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, 700032, India.
authors.forename: Anup Kumar
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Das
authors.forename: Vivekananda
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mandal
authors.forename: Subhash C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Mandal
mesh_terms: D005591:Chemical Fractionation / Q000379:methods*; D008872:Microwaves; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Chemometric design; design of experiment; microwave assisted extraction; optimisation